Job Hill

Job Hill
Born 1754-05-29 Billerica, MA
Died 1842-02-05 Billerica, MA
Father Jonathan Hill
Mother Mary Lane
Spouses Susanna Blanchard (m. 1790-01-19 )
Children Jonathan (b. 1795-12-22)


Job Hill (1754-1842) farmed for more than half a century on the old road from Billerica to Concord in South Billerica, beside his family's mill. He was born on May 29, 1754, the son of Jonathan Hill of Hill's Mills and Mary Lane. Hazen puts him on the town's 1776 tax list at the place later called Mr. Perrin's.

The farm had been Thomas Hall's. After Hall died in 1772 his widow sold most of it to Job's father, and on February 25, 1785 Jonathan Hill sold Job and his brother Josiah Hill 40 1/2 acres "in the Southerly part of said Town" for 152 pounds. That November the brothers also bought at public auction the dower of Hall's widow, 21 1/2 acres on the west side of the Bedford road "with the Dwelling House & that part of the Barn standing thereon." Job took the part toward the mill, where he lived in the Job Hill House on what is now Dudley Road, with his barn across the road; Josiah's share lay to the south. In 1793 his father sold him another meadow of 2 1/2 acres, and in 1796 the brothers divided a Carlisle woodlot left them by their father's will. In 1791 the town voted to set the south ward schoolhouse "at the head of Job Hill's lane," and it stood on a corner of his farm without any deed.

On January 19, 1790 he married Susanna Blanchard, daughter of Simon Blanchard. Their children were Asenath (1790); Job (1791), who died in 1814; Jonathan (1795); Daniel (1797); David and Susanna, baptized together in 1800, Susanna dying the next year; Susanna Lane (1803); and Lucretia (1807), who married Sewall Stearns in 1836.

He was a careful neighbor and lender. He bought lots at the vendue of Samuel Stearns's estate in 1801, and in 1818 he and Thomas Russell of West Cambridge took a mortgage of the saw mill farm of Abner Stearns to secure them on a $600 note they had signed with him to Isaac Hastings of Lexington, in trust for the town. After his brother Jonathan Hill died in 1815, the guardian of Jonathan's children recorded $16 received "of Mr. Job Hill for the use of the Mill" in 1816. In 1829 he sold Josiah three acres opposite the house where Josiah's son Elijah B. Hill lived.

Job Hill died on February 5, 1842, aged 87, and was buried in the Hill Cemetery. His will, made in 1837, left $700 each and the household furniture to his unmarried daughters Asenath and Susan Lane Hill, $250 to Lucretia Stearns, $50 to his son Daniel if he came to Billerica in person within three years, and the bed, the clock and all the rest of his estate to his son Jonathan, who kept the farm until his own death in 1870.



References

  1. Hazen, History of Billerica (1883), Genealogical Register p. 71, HILL 24
  2. Hazen, History of Billerica (1883), p. 249: tax list of 1776 (Job Hill, "Mr. Perrin's place")
  3. Hazen, History of Billerica (1883), p. 256: the south ward schoolhouse "at the head of Job Hill's lane," 1791


Title References

Date Type Grantor Grantee Summary Property Recorded
February 27, 1786 Administrator's Deed Edward Farmer of Billerica, Esq., empowered by the General Court to sell the dower of Lydia (Hall) Crosby, widow of Thomas Hall Job Hill and Josiah Hill of Billerica, yeomen Job Hill House
Hill Schoolhouse
Job Hill Barn
Hill Blacksmith Shop
93/335 (South)
February 27, 1786 Deed Jonathan Hill of Billerica, yeoman Job Hill and Josiah Hill of Billerica, yeomen Jonathan Hill House
Josiah Hill House
Job Hill House
Hill Schoolhouse
Job Hill Barn
Jonathan & Laura Hill House
Harvey Snow House
Hill Blacksmith Shop
Joseph Dane House
93/336 (South)
April 15, 1794 Deed Jonathan Hill of Billerica, yeoman His son Job Hill of Billerica Job Hill House 115/330 (South)
August 14, 1795 Deed Samuel Stearns of Billerica, yeoman (Hannah Stearns, his wife, releasing dower) His son Issachar Stearns of Billerica, yeoman Samuel Stearns House
397 Concord Rd
118/259 (South)
January 22, 1799 Partition Job Hill and Jonathan Hill of Billerica and Josiah Hill of Bedford, yeomen, sons and heirs of Jonathan Hill Each other (Jonathan Hill one half, Job and Josiah Hill one quarter each) Jonathan Hill House
Josiah Hill House
130/432 (South)
1801 Will Samuel Stearns of Billerica, yeoman His widow Hannah Stearns (life use); his children Nathaniel, Jonathan, Joseph and Elijah Stearns, Elizabeth Jefts, Hannah Spaulding, Allice Stearns, Josiah and Issachar Stearns Samuel Stearns House
397 Concord Rd
Probate #21330
August 11, 1807 Executor's Deed Elijah Stearns of Bedford, executor of the will of Samuel Stearns late of Billerica, yeoman Abner Stearns of Billerica, gentleman Abner Stearns House 175/195 (South)
April 14, 1823 Quitclaim Deed Timothy Stearns of Billerica, gentleman (Sarah Stearns releasing dower) John Stearns of Billerica, yeoman, his brother Lt. John Stearns House 247/440 (South)
May 17, 1815 Administration and Dower Estate of Jonathan Hill of Billerica, yeoman, intestate Mary Hill, widow (dower), and children Mary, Anna, Jonathan and David Hill Jonathan Hill House
Hill's Mills
Jonathan Hill Barn
Concord Road Corporate Center
Probate #11475
1815 Guardianship Mary, Anna, Jonathan and David Hill, minor children of Jonathan Hill (d. 1815) Timothy Stearns of Billerica, guardian (1815), succeeded by Joel Fitch of Bedford (1816) Hill's Mills Probate #11476
November 25, 1818 Mortgage Abner Stearns of Billerica, gentleman (wife Anna releasing dower) Job Hill of Billerica, yeoman, and Thomas Russell of West Cambridge, Esq. Abner Stearns House 228/117 (South)
April 11, 1826 Guardian's Deed Joel Fitch of Bedford, guardian of Jonathan Hill and David Hill, minors Mather Hayward of Bedford, gentleman Jonathan Hill House
Jonathan Hill Barn
Hill's Mills
Concord Road Corporate Center
265/389 (South)
April 11, 1826 Deed Mather Hayward John Simonds of Bedford, cordwainer Jonathan Hill House
Jonathan Hill Barn
Hill's Mills
Concord Road Corporate Center
265/391 (South)
September 1, 1826 Deed John Simonds and Anna Simonds William Whitford of Bedford, laborer Jonathan Hill House
Jonathan Hill Barn
Hill's Mills
Charles Henry Hill House
Concord Road Corporate Center
269/301 (South)
April 18, 1826 Mortgage William Whitford of Billerica, yeoman, and Sarah Whitford his wife John Simonds of Bedford, cordwainer Jonathan Hill House 265/442 (South)
December 4, 1829 Deed Job Hill of Billerica, yeoman Josiah Hill of Bedford, yeoman Josiah Hill House
Harvey Snow House
294/52 (South)
April 12, 1842 Will Estate of Job Hill of Billerica, yeoman (d. Feb. 5, 1842) His son Jonathan Hill, residuary legatee and executor Job Hill House
Hill Schoolhouse
Job Hill Barn
Jonathan & Laura Hill House
Hill Blacksmith Shop
Joseph Dane House
Probate #34231
January 5, 1871 Warranty Deed Laura W. Hill of Billerica, widow (of Jonathan Hill) Thomas E. Perrin of Andover Job Hill House
Hill Schoolhouse
Job Hill Barn
Hill Blacksmith Shop
77/167

Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted; Probate # is a Middlesex probate case, Ctf a Land Court certificate of title.